[mythtv-users] Theme stuff

[Robert McNamara]

2009/3/30 Nasa <nasa01 at comcast.net>:

>
> 1) The Wiki suggest
> (http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/MythUI_Theme_Development#The_imagetype_widget)
> that a filename could point to a directory (as you pointed out earlier in
> the thread) when images are downloaded from thetvdb.com they are just placed
> in the appropriate directory.  Wouldn't it be better to create a folder
> using the video id and place the image in there?  That way you could add all
> the fanart (for example) images into the directory and have it magically
> switch....
>

I've read this a couple of times and I'm not sure what you're getting
at exactly.  I *think* I understand it as you wanting to download all
the fanart/etc. for a given film/show/etc.. I can't see a purpose in
creating subfolders for each video, or a really compelling reason to
download *every* piece of fanart for a film/Television program.  In
addition to putting undue stress on already struggling free services,
there are a number of reasons it wouldn't work well.  The random
imagetype needs to be fed an actual path in the theme XML, there's no
way to change that value dynamically at the moment.  So there's no way
to say "show the fanart from this random dir" unless that dir is
specified in the XML itself.  It also breaks the functionality where
the downloaded format matches the format expected in the "Watch
Recordings" screen.  So in short, it would require a rewrite from the
ground up of three or so functionalities (all of which I wrote in the
first place so I'm not eager to write them again so soon), and I don't
believe in stressing the free services, so if a patch for this is
written, it won't be by me. I also don't see functionality to (forgive
the term) rape the information sources being integrated into Myth's
source, but stranger things have happened.

By the way, I *strongly* recommend supporting www.themoviedb.org
(Donate link at the bottom) and www.thetvdb.com (donate link at the
top) which are both struggling financially and are the only free,
legal, open API sources in Myth right now.  If you have an extra few
bucks to throw their way, I know they would appreciate it.  (I have no
affiliation with them)

>
>
> 2) talking of the script, it doesn't seem to check if an image file has
> already been downloaded (I think adding this would lighten the load on the
> servers...)
>

That's not the job of the script, it's MythVideo's job.  This is all a
work in progress and isn't done.  This is what happens when you apply
in progress patches for use rather than to develop them.  ;)

Robert